Opinion Contributor

For U.S. leadership, less is more

Going forward, the best answer is b). Global institutions are withering as the U.S. takes a back seat. If Washington tries to reassert its role at the forefront of these organizations, it will be pushing against the tide of a shifting power balance decades in the making.

The alternative is better: Washington should assemble coalitions of the willing, like-minded and capable, and rally them for specific, thematic goals. Where these institutions don’t exist, build them. Where existing institutions can be retrofitted to serve this purpose, all the better.

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This policy won’t solve today’s most pressing global problems. But it will chip away at them; solve subglobal challenges, and shape the world to U.S. interests when possible. We live in a more unpredictable world, in which unwelcome crises come from unexpected directions. This is an “every-nation-for-itself” environment where, like Putin, the world’s major powers are putting their domestic agendas first. Smaller institutions with narrower, tailored goals will allow the United States to make progress with the allies who fit each venture best.

When it comes to containing state capitalism and the threat it poses to open markets and free trade, the U.S. is already making progress with this narrower approach. The Trans-Pacific Strategic Economic Partnership is a multilateral free-trade deal — originally among Chile, Singapore and New Zealand.

As China’s economic rise has threatened Asia Pacific countries, they have cohered around TPP as a counterweight. President Barack Obama has promoted it, negotiating terms for U.S. inclusion. His recent trip to the region helped entice Japan to enter talks.

The TPP is oriented around countries with ties to the Asia Pacific and a common free-market ideology. Its purpose is economic, but its motives are geostrategic — as China’s neighbors hedge against Beijing’s rise. This is an example of what Secretary of State Hillary Clinton dubbed “economic statecraft” — a marriage of U.S. economic incentives and geostrategic thinking.

Readers' Comments (8)

Bremmer's reasoning has a fatal flaw which is the assumption that what "Washington" wants is in our best interest. He calls for a coalition of the selfish who are willing to be US-led. Yet we pressured and bribed nations to join us in the disastrous Coalition-of-the-Willing invasion of Iraq which sent us trillions into debt unnecessarily. The UN Secretary General at the time called the war illegal. Bremmer praises the Libyan intervention, in which the UN no-fly zone resolution was outrageously distorted, but Libya is a mess. NATO's other mission, Afghanistan, is also a disaster, and most countries want out. The Israel Lobby neocons who lied us into Iraq now strive to lie us into Iran. The UN could save us but not if we let the neocons form their coalition of the selfish, whose end result will be WW III.

Obama is too busy partying and appearing on light night comedy shows to be a world leader, he has never been from the start and has actively looked to weaken us interanationally. He is a coward and a apologist. Worse President ever.

There is more than one way to skin a cat.... The President, Congress and the US Military should realize there is more than one way to be a world leader. Economic might, financial leverage is so much more important to "bend the will" of rouge nations. It's time to have the type of military that can destroy a countries ability to exist then to occupy.

The US military is all powerful, but they don't have and probably will never the ability to put enough boots on the ground to force changes, why would we. The ability to stop economic activity between the US and Europe can cause a country such as Iran to start folding its tent. They will be like Cuba. They will always be a third rate country and we help its neighbors grow and prosper.

Oh Yes!... Let's just allow the Russians, the Chinese and a 7th Century Religious doctrine to run the world!... In a world that will always operate by the Darwinian laws of Natural Selection - we should just subjugate ourselves to the will of those who demonstrate the boldness we fail to project!

One way to help China run the world is to continue letting Israel Lobby neocons lie us into unnecessary wars which we pay for by borrowing from China, and then, when the countries we invade hate us so much, watching China saunter in and grab the lucrative oil, mining, etc contracts.

Obama: "Unless” The word I detest”, you run a financial institution whose business model is built on cheating consumers, or making risky bets that could damage the whole economy, you have nothing to fear from Wall Street reform.” I wrote this as I read this from a friend I did not hesitate in saying, “This I ought to give all, as knowledge is for sharing that” you care. I frequently challenge people I think everyone strives to be a better leader. We read books, take classes and go through upper management training courses, yet so few people seem to truly grasp the core concepts of leadership. I have been privy to all kinds of leadership in the military and in my corporate career and although I am no expert, leadership has started to come easier to me over the years. Let me give you some background. When I was 17 years old, I helped to start and build a non-profit corporation which was a grant based volunteer organization that had outreach programs for local youth. In the beginning of this project, we were interviewed by the local press and I ended up in the lime light. The next thing I knew I was being called the “leader” of this group by various forms of the press. What was unique about this leadership experience is that I had no title and no authority over these volunteers. These people were not being paid so they came purely for the cause and belief in the vision. In the years that followed, I've learned some of the most important secrets of leadership. 1. People follow dreamers and those that can inspire others to do great things2. People follow those that take action, not those who talk and preach with empty promises3. People follow those who “Don’t follow the Crowd” For better and worse, this project was a success. I was proclaimed the hero and given accolades for my endeavours, this also led to me getting an inflated ego and thinking I knew it all at age 20. I always tell people if you want the biggest leadership challenge of your life, go lead a non-profit organization of volunteers who are not being paid to work there. It will challenge every bone of your leadership body. In the real world there are few.'' The reason I write this is as I have stated many a time, we have no good leaders and bad politicians. . ``And, beyond the so-called `sound and fury,' we are making good progress in laying firm foundations for strong economic recovery and sustainable growth.'' But Nobel economics laureate Joseph Stieglitz told the assembly ``the best that can be said for Europe and the United States is that they look forward to a long malaise, slow growth. What a step on the right course form Stieglitz I thank you Firozali A.Mulla DBA